Still Waters
by PhoenixInAshes
Summary: Sebastian confuses Hunter. Irritates him to no end. And yet...there's something about him that keeps Hunter hovering over him. Protecting him. Or; The five times Hunter helps Sebastian, and the one time Sebastian returns the favor.
1. Chapter 1

Hunter didn't really like his roommate.

Sebastian wasn't really particularly likeable. He was caustic and hostile, alternately combative or dismissive. Hunter didn't like his attitude. At all.

Hunter had expected things to be different in Dalton. It only stood to reason, he was leaving an environment of rigid control and structure for one of affluence and exception for the sheltered darlings of the prominent and the wealthy. He knew getting them to accept his leadership would probably require a fair amount of effort on his part, particularly considering the circumstances of his arrival and their former Captain's fall from grace.

He would have expected Sebastian to be grateful to simply still have a place in the club at all. In military school, an assault on a rival like the one Sebastian had apparently pulled on that boy from the other Glee club would have resulted in immediate expulsion. Apparently having a district attorney for a daddy had it's perks. It also seemed to lead Sebastian into assuming he was untouchable. Hunter was constantly at odds with him. Over song choices, choreography, choice for lead, everything.

And the thing that frustrated him the most was the other Warbler's would usually choose his side. Hunter didn't understand the hold this boy had over them. He had singlehandedly led to their downfall, severely damaging the Warbler's reputation with his actions. Hunter himself could feel the effects it had left on the group. There was an unease and tension in the air whenever they would pass the other students in the halls. He wasn't sure if the other students were _disappointed_ in them or _scared_ of them. But he didn't like it. It was his job to correct matters and restore the Warbler's to their elevated position.

If only they would _listen_ to him.

Hunter sighed in frustration as Jeff stumbled over the carefully orchestrated choreography for probably the fifteenth or sixteenth time that day. He was trying to keep a positive attitude, and keep the Warbler's focused on the things they were doing well with commendation when appropriate. He was trying to keep to a schedule, after carefully considering what would be necessary to get the group ready for Sectionals in time. He had carefully laid everything out for them, his expectations, his plan for the competition, their individuals roles. He had set everything up exactly as he would have for a military training exercise, leaving nothing to chance. They needed to succeed with this. _He_ needed to succeed with this. Dalton was his last chance. He was desperate to accomplish what the school had brought him in on scholarship to do. He _had_ to.

And he could have, without a problem, if the irritating little meerkat he was rooming with would stop interrupting his plans. Sebastian battled him constantly. Sebastian battled _everyone_ constantly. While Hunter struggled to keep a clear head and not let Jeff see how frustrated he was with his constant inability to follow a simple pattern with his feet for more than three steps at a time, Sebastian kept up a constant commentary of sarcastic remarks questioning Jeff's ability, intelligence, and attractiveness. Hunter just gazed bewildered at him. Jeff didn't even seem to notice, determinedly tripping over his feet with each new attempt.

Hunter couldn't take it anymore. He called for dismissal, rubbing his temples. He left the rehearsal room and returned to his dorm with intentions of finishing his homework and then trying to come up with a way to get Jeff to understand the steps. He couldn't understand the boy's mental block. He knew he _could_ dance, and could keep in formation. He had seen the videos of the Warbler's other performances. He settled down to work.

An hour later Sebastian breezed into the room and collapsed onto his bed. Hunter glanced up. "Where have you been?" he asked, irritated. He knew for a fact Sebastian hadn't even touched his homework yet. The way he just seemed to float comfortably though life drove Hunter insane.

Sebastian leered suggestively at him. "_Entertaining_. Jealous, Clarington?" he asked, smirking.

Hunter glared back. "Don't you have homework to do instead of deflowering the students?" he asked, irritated.

Sebastian grinned. "Where's the fun in that? Besides, all I have tonight is French. And I already speak it fluently. I don't need to study. Half the time I'm correcting Mademoiselle's accent," he replied easily.

"Well, isn't that wonderful for you," Hunter replied with a roll of his eyes, pointedly turning away from him and back to his papers.

"You need to relax," Sebastian responded immediately. "Go get laid or something. You're going to give yourself a panic attack at this rate."

"I don't _panic_ over things, Sebastian," Hunter replied dismissively.

Sebastian eyed him. "No, but you're one of the most OCD people I've ever met," he muttered. "You're not in military school anymore. We aren't your troops. You need to stop pushing everyone so hard."

Hunter stared at him in disbelief. "I'm not _pushing_ them, Sebastian, I'm_ leading_ them," he explained slowly like he was talking to a two year old. "I'm sure _you_ have no concept of what that means."

For a brief moment, Sebastian almost looked hurt. It almost made Hunter feel slightly guilty. Almost.

"I'm just saying you're not going to get where you need to go if you keep acting like this," Sebastian said quietly. "They aren't troops, Hunter. They don't respond to demands and lists of rules. You aren't going to get very far with them this way. You're just stressing them out."

"They don't seem that stressed out to me," Hunter responded defensively.

Sebastian watched him silently. He sighed. "Jeff doesn't actually have a problem with _choreography_ you know," he said mildly. "He actually _created_ ours last year. It isn't his feet that aren't in the game." He turned around and headed for their shared bathroom, shaking his head. Moments later, Hunter heard the shower turn on.

"He's wrong," Hunter muttered to himself. "He failed them last year. I'm going to get them to Nationals. _Me_. Because Dalton knew I was right for the job. I _have_ to be," he whispered grimly.


	2. Chapter 2

Hunter wasn't a fan of parent/teacher days. He didn't see the fascination with spending the day listening to small talk and hoping your parents didn't say anything embarrassing to your teachers, and your teachers didn't say anything embarrassing to your parents, and your schoolmates didn't say anything compromising to _any_ of them.

So when Dalton's annual Parent's Day fell barely a month after he transferred, and his parent's decided they weren't going to travel all the way from Colorado, particularly since they had just seen him while dealing with the whole Military School fiasco, he was ecstatic. There were no classes that day, and he figured he could use the opportunity to have the room to himself for the day for once without Sebastian's constant grating presence.

The boy hadn't gotten any better. Hunter still had to fight to maintain control over the Warbler's, who seemed strangely impervious to Sebastian's constant belittlement. Hunter had taken to avoiding him as much as possible when he wasn't in practice or stuck in the room with him. Hunter spent a lot of time studying at the library. Sebastian spent a lot of time off doing Hunter didn't even want to _know_ what. Hunter would have written him off as having absolutely no redeemable qualities, except every once in a while there would be the briefest glimpse of a human being under all that attitude.

The incident with Trent stood out the most. Sebastian had been muttering into his phone looking agitated for some time while he sat at the table with the other Warbler's in the dining hall. Hunter was fast growing annoyed by his lack of manners. He could have at least taken the phone call out in the hall. The other boys had been vacillating between watching Sebastian complain into his phone and watching Hunter glare daggers at him with interest, until Trent, who was the self imposed peacemaker of the group, nudged Sebastian subtly and whispered at him about his volume. Sebastian stuck his hand over the phone and snapped out "Do I interrupt you when you're talking to your mother, Trent?" and went immediately back to his phone call.

Trent turned an alarming shade of white and wordlessly stood up from the table and walked out the door. Hunter watched in confusion as Jeff swore violently and smacked Sebastian on the head.

"Jackass! Would you think before you speak?" he demanded urgently, nodding in the direction of Trent's empty chair.

Sebastian glanced at him blankly, and Hunter could actually see the moment his mind made the connection. He closed his eyes, looking regretful and exhaled heavily. "I wasn't thinking," he said softly and immediately snapped into the phone, "I have to go, we'll discuss it later," and ended the call. He got up and followed after Trent.

Hunter glanced at the rest of the table with raised eyebrows, hoping someone would let him in on what just happened.

"Trent's mom died three months ago," Jeff explained quietly, turning his spoon over and over in his fingers. "Cancer."

_Oh_. Well that was awful. No wonder he had looked so stricken. He turned to Jeff in concern. "Sebastian isn't going to make it worse, is he?"

Jeff looked at him blankly. "Of course not. He spoke before his brain kicked in. He'll make it right."

Hunter shook his head, still confused by the faith these boys had in their former Captain. As far as Hunter could tell, he hadn't done anything to earn it.

"You're too hard on him," Jeff said softly, noting Hunter's expression. "If you would really see _him_ instead of what he _wants_ you to see, you would probably feel differently about him."

Hunter had secretly doubted that sentiment then, and he doubted it just as much now, as he watched Sebastian anxiously dart around the room, rearranging and straightening both his own things and Hunter's like a manic tornado. He tilted his head. "What are you _doing_?" he asked as Sebastian pulled his schoolbooks off the shelf and shifted them around, put them back, and repeated the motion several more times.

Sebastian ignored him.

Hunter just rolled his eyes and settled on his bed, pulling out his laptop. He was interrupted by a muffled cough at the door.

"Dad!"

Sebastian's exclamation had Hunter glancing up in interest, wondering exactly what brand of parenting resulted in the creature currently inhabiting half of his room.

Sebastian's father stood in the doorway, glancing around the room with calculating eyes. His wife stood at his side. _Elitis_t, was the first word that popped into Hunter's head as he studied the two of them. Both of them had on clothing that was just a tad bit too formal for the circumstances. It was clearly designer brand and hand tailored. Mrs. Smythe was carrying a purse emblazoned with it's brand over it in large enough letters for Hunter to assume it was probably expensive, since it's name seemed to be displayed so prominently.

Mr. Smythe smiled stiffly at his son. "We were hoping you would meet us in the entry so we didn't have to find our way here."

Sebastian stood casually against the wall, facing his parents. "You didn't call to tell me you were here," he pointed out slightly defensively.

His father simply shrugged. "It's no matter. We found our way." He glanced at Hunter. "Are you going to introduce us to your roommate?" he asked, raising an eyebrow, "Or did you figure you would leave us to sort that out ourselves?" He glanced at his wife, his tone disapproving.

Sebastian merely rolled his eyes and pointed. "Hunter, parents. Parents, Hunter."

Hunter shook his head at Sebastian's lack of manners. His parents didn't seem that bad. A bit formal perhaps, but they probably had a lot of expectations laid upon them to act in a certain way at all times. He set the computer down and climbed off the bed, walking over to the couple. He held out his hand, shaking Mr. Smythe's firmly. "Hunter Clarington Sir, Ma'am," he introduced himself respectfully. He was used to people in positions of authority. In military school there was _always_ someone over you. Proper decorum required a chain of command. Sebastian's father was clearly used to being near the top of his particular chain.

Mr. Smythe smiled at him and glanced at his wife. "I like him," he said matter of factly. "Perhaps he will have a positive influence on Sebastian." Sebastian snorted and turned to fiddle with his bookcase. Hunter suspected there was a lot of eye rolling going on out of their viewpoint. Mr. Smythe turned back to Hunter. "Are your parents visiting today as well?" he asked. Hunter shook his head. "I'm a recent transfer, they couldn't make the trip after such a short time," Hunter explained vaguely. Mr. Smythe nodded. "We're going out to dinner later," he said. Hunter noticed Sebastian's head jerk up in surprise as he glanced in their direction. "It seems a shame to leave you here alone," Sebastian's mother interjected. His father nodded. "Would you care to accompany us today? I feel like we should get to know Sebastian's roommate."

Hunter didn't really want to, but he had long before had respect for authority drilled into his head. There were certain people who you were expected to just follow unquestioningly. Mr. Smythe was clearly one of those people. He wasn't really giving Hunter the option, even if he words made it seem that way. There was no question he expected Hunter to join them.

Hunter swallowed his disappointment. He glanced at Sebastian, who was staring at the three of them with a look of disbelief. Hunter nodded. He could see why Sebastian's parents would want him as a buffer. Their son was not very easy to deal with. He couldn't blame them for not wanting to be stuck with him. He felt a faint sense of sympathy for them. It must be difficult to have such a disrespectful son. "That would be very nice," Hunter accepted graciously, "thank you for the kind invitation."

Mr. Smythe smiled agreeably. "It's settled then," he decided. "We have to meet with a few of Sebastian's teachers first, but you're more than welcome to accompany us," he said, his tone offering no room for denials. Hunter merely nodded silently and followed them out the door, watching Sebastian trail after his parents, looking anything but pleased. "Would it kill you to be civil?" he muttered under his breath. Sebastian glared at him. "Possibly," he said with a condescending sniff. Hunter merely sighed as he followed the group to the academic building, mildly surprised when the Smythe's ushered both him and Sebastian in with them as they listened to the teachers.

Sebastian looked uncomfortable. And unhappy. Hunter wasn't sure why. The teachers would have nothing but good things to say, he was sure of it. No one sent their child to a private school with a tuition as steep as Dalton's and didn't expect a positive review of their child's accomplishments while boarding. Sebastian's teachers did not disappoint. Hunter listened, slightly perturbed as the French teacher gushed to the Smythe's about how wonderful their son was and what an asset he was to the class. It was vaguely sickening. Hunter wasn't sure if she was kissing up to Sebastian's parents, or she actually had a massively inappropriate crush on him.

Sebastian's father didn't seem all that impressed either. "He _should_ be getting straight A's," he said dismissively. "He spent over four years in Paris. He's fluent in French. I don't know why he would have chosen this as a class anyway. It serves no purpose." He shook his head. "He needs to apply himself. He probably just figured it would be an easy A."

The teacher shook her head, responding earnestly, "Oh, no, Sir. Sebastian didn't choose French. It's a mandatory class. All of our language classes are for at least a year. The students can continue with the ones that interest them of course, but they need to complete one year of French and Spanish. He's been invaluable. He's even corrected my pronunciation at times."

Mr. Smythe responded graciously, "I appreciate your enthusiasm, Mademoiselle. I'm sure there's more Sebastian can do to improve, but your positive words are encouraging."

Hunter was more interested in Sebastian's reaction to the conversation than in the conversation itself. He was watching his father with a barely contained look of disappointment and resignation. And the more Hunter saw Sebastian's parents talk to his teachers, the more he understand the look. And the inner workings of Sebastian's brain. And suddenly the sarcastic and biting comments made a lot more sense.

He was simply responding in the same way he had observed growing up. Hunter watched silently as one teacher after another remarked on Sebastian's accomplishments, and as one by one, Sebastian's parents politely shot them down.

Nothing he did was ever good enough. His math teacher's mention that he was number three in the whole school resulted in a statement that if he just applied himself a little more, he could be number one. His lacrosse coach's praise that they were still on target for the finals and had only lost two games with Sebastian acting as Captain led to a recollection from Mr. Smythe that when _he_ had Captained his team back in school, they were undefeated. His English teacher's appreciation for Sebastian's last few essays led to his father's mention that Sebastian spent too much time daydreaming and thinking and not enough time on actions. By the end of the day Hunter was exhausted from gritting his teeth so hard every time Sebastian's father made another disparaging remark tearing Sebastian down while his wife just smiled serenely behind him and Sebastian retreated into himself a little more with each passing hour. Hunter had never seen him look vulnerable before. He didn't like the look. At all.

They finally made it though the staff and Sebastian's parents took Sebastian and Hunter out to eat at a fancy restaurant. Hunter stared blankly at the unnecessary number of forks at his place setting and shook his head at the pretentiousness of it all. Sebastian's father finally took the chance to zero in on Hunter. "So you're Sebastian's roommate," he said thoughtfully. "Do you do any extracurricular activities, Hunter?"

Hunter glanced up at him. He couldn't stand the man, but a long history of remaining calm in the face of people he could not stand had him responding simply, "I'm Captain of the Warbler's Sir."

Sebastian's father's eyes widened in sudden realization. Hunter glanced uneasily at Sebastian. He doubted this was going to go well. "That's my main focus right now," he explained.

Mr. Smythe nodded. "It's good to keep your goals in focus," he agreed easily. He glanced at his son. "Sebastian lacks insight," he said regretfully. "He has to be constantly monitored to ensure he isn't slacking off." He shook his head. "It's unfortunate, but necessary. He can't seem to manage not to mess up the responsibilities he's been given. Last year was extremely trying. He's lucky the consequences we not more severe."

Hunter had sat through just about _enough_ of the Smythe's condescending and hurtful attitude. He was beginning to understand that maybe Sebastian had a reason to be how he was. In any case, he had zero interest in letting Sebastian's parents continue tearing him down and treating him like he was nothing. "Actually," he stated firmly, "Sebastian has been invaluable to me." He ignored Sebastian's sudden head swivel in his direction and surprised expression. "Sebastian has a much better understanding of the students themselves. Of what they need. And how they can gain the help and experience needed to reach their full potential. His insight has been extremely helpful. He's agreed to co-captain with me this year so we can make sure the Warbler's are getting the full attention they need."

Sebastian's look of shocked gratitude made his offer worth it to Hunter. He had been serious. He still wasn't quite sure why, but Sebastian did have a hold over the boys. And his insight was helpful. So Hunter didn't regret making him Co-Captain legitimately.

His decision was only further reinforced the next day when the families were all gone, Sebastian was back to his usual self, and Hunter was almost at the point of regretting his rash decision as Sebastian muttered condescendingly about his song choices, when he suddenly realized Jeff was managing the choreography perfectly. He blinked. A few days ago he half suspected Jeff _actually_ had two left feet, and today he was following along perfectly. He pulled Jeff aside after practice to commend him on his hard work.

Jeff simply shook his head. "It wasn't me," he explained quietly. "Sebastian helped me. He spent an hour after practice the last few days when you all left working with me until I got it."

Hunter blinked. "He told _me_ he was off 'entertaining.'

Jeff rolled his eyes. "He doesn't sleep with anyone at Dalton," he explained. "I don't know why. It's some sort of code of his. But he kept working with me until I could work it out in my head." He glanced cautiously at Hunter. "There's more to him than you think," he said softly.

Hunter nodded. "I think I'm beginning to see that," he murmured.


	3. Chapter 3

Hunter did not understand the fascination with the hobbit.

Yes, he understand the concept of loyalty, loyalty was huge in his old school where your ability to trust your fellow students could one day literally mean the difference between life and death.

So, yes, loyalty was wonderful. Sticking together was admirable. However, Hunter wasn't particularly certain that sentiment should be applied to deserters.

The Warbler's memory of Blaine's presence had been so blown out of proportion, Hunter couldn't help but wonder if they were remembering a boy or some sort of embodiment of a collective myth they had all had downloaded directly into the memory centers of their brains. Because there was no way anyone could ever be as perfect as the Warbler's had made Blaine out to be.

Blaine was unbelievably talented. Blaine could memorize every song and it's choreography in minutes. Blaine had the voice of an angel. Blaine was super sweet. Blaine was funny. Blaine was caring. Blaine was the answer to the Warbler's dilemma. _Blaine, Blaine, Blaine_. If Hunter heard Blaine's name thrown out in casual conversation one more time, he was going to court marshal them all.

And it literally made no sense. Hunter had watched the tapes. Hunter had seen Blaine in action on video. And sure, Blaine was unquestionably talented. But he wasn't the savior and unending well of talent the Warbler's seemed to think he was. He sang adequately. He had a certain boy next door charm. He had a puppy dog face that Hunter suspected got him places because disappointing him would feel like kicking a pet. So, yes, if Blaine had been in Dalton, he would have been a valuable member of the group. But he couldn't see where the other boys were getting this never ending devotion and longing from. And frankly, it was starting to distract them.

Even Sebastian wasn't immune. Hunter had hoped that considering he had never actually gone to school with Blaine, and that he had thrown a _slushee_ at him, there would have been enough animosity there that _Sebastian_ at least would be able to see reason and would be on his side.

But of course Hunter's luck never held that well. He didn't know why he would have expected any differently. The stupid little meerkat had a _crush_ on the hobbit. At least, that was how Hunter was interpreting it. But he was fairly certain he was right. Sebastian had the same sad eyes and hangdog face as the rest of them when they talked about the good old days and competitions that were practically their's from the start and leads who could command the whole room.

Hunter wanted to smack them all. They didn't _have_ Blaine. They didn't _need_ Blaine. There was no point in focusing on the past. Blaine had deserted them. Left them for a _boyfriend_. In _public school_. Hunter questioned his sanity. And even this year, he hadn't returned. Hunter didn't want to hear one more word from any of them about how Blaine's boyfriend had graduated and how things would be so much better if they could just convince him to return to Dalton.

Hunter didn't _want_ him.

Blaine had made his choice. Blaine did not fit into Hunter's plans.

But then…there was Sebastian.

And as infuriating as Sebastian was, Hunter needed Sebastian. Sebastian had the charisma. Sebastian had the presence. Sebastian would be Hunter's choice for lead for their second song, and Sebastian would lead them to victory.

If he would just keep his damn _head in the game_.

Hunter watched with increasing frustration as each progressive rehearsal became another trip down memory lane. As the Warbler's exchanged sad glances and mentioned how much Blaine liked this song, or how nicely Blaine's voice would compliment that song, or how Blaine's personality would really make that song come through to the audience.

And with each mention of Blaine, Sebastian would withdraw a little more.

Hunter wasn't quite sure where Sebastian's loyalty to Blaine's memory came from. Guilt? Lust? His own slightly battered self esteem? In any case, it was reaching the point that Hunter felt action would be necessary to take care of the Blaine Problem once and for all.

Which is how Operation Eradicate Blaine came to formation. Of course, it was only Operation Eradicate Blaine in his own head, as far as anyone else was concerned, he was actually trying to lure Blaine back.

Poor, confused little birdies.

Hunter pulled Sebastian into his plans to give him something to do. Make him feel useful. And stop him from staring longingly at youtube videos all day. He didn't tell him he was trying to push Blaine further away, of course. He would have felt better to have Sebastian in on his side, but Sebastian had fallen under Blaine's Siren spell as badly as the others.

So he formulated a plan to steal the National's trophy from New Directions.

He was actually a little disappointed. He had been looking forward to the opportunity to utilize some of the skills he had gained in his last school. He had been prepared to go stealth mode and sneak into McKinley and take the trophy undetected. As it turned out, McKinley wasn't exactly a secure fortress. All he actually had to do was walk into the school in casual clothes, walk purposefully to the case holding the trophy, open the unlocked door, and walk out with it. As long as he acted like he knew exactly what he was doing, no one said a word. The biggest challenge was how unwieldy the giant thing was. He was a little appalled by the school's obliviousness. It was exactly the sort of situation that could get them into trouble one day.

McKinley wasn't his problem though. Blaine was. Hunter was so disgruntled by how boring the theft turned out to be that he had to admit he might have gone a little overboard with the video.

Sebastian stood behind the camera, staring at Hunter in disbelief. Hunter had texted him asking for help with the video. He was starting to regret not just putting the camera on a tripod and pressing record himself.

"You're really going through with this? You_ stole_ their trophy? _Why_?"

"To get Blaine to come to Dalton," Hunter replied reasonably. "You know they'll send him."

Sebastian just shook his head. "You're _that_ desperate to get him in the Warbler's. You think he's that much of a threat?"

Hunter shook his head. "_You_ all want him that badly. We need to settle this once and for all. He's a _distraction_. He's either with us, or he's not, but you all can't keep making sad eyes at pictures of him and whining about how much better we would be with him here. So I'm going to handle it."

Sebastian rolled his eyes. "You're certifiable," he informed him flatly. "This is a stupid idea. He's never going to come back if you threaten him."

Well, of course not. That was the whole point. But Sebastian didn't need to know that. "He'll realize how much he's missed this, and he'll be back," Hunter responded firmly. "Just tape the video, Sebastian."

And Hunter then threw himself into playing a two-sided game. Pretend to encourage Blaine to return, while simultaneously subtly dissuading him from wanting to. He set himself up as the villain in charge, complete with a cat and overplayed sinister attitude, hoping Blaine wouldn't want to return under a regime ruled by a clearly crazy military brat, with _Sebastian_ at his side. He carefully picked out Dark Side for the Warbler's to get Blaine to sing with them, hoping the lyrics would remind him of the negatives he had associated with Dalton. He brought Kurt's name up, hoping to stir his loyalty to his absent love interest. He left returning to Dalton as a coercion, rather than a choice by keeping the National's trophy as a hostage. And then, to keep the Warbler's happy, he sang Blaine's praises and told him how much he wanted and needed him.

He _didn't_ at all. The performance did nothing for him. Blaine was good, sure, but Hunter still found himself drawn to Sebastian as the one to watch. Sebastian was already his choice for lead. It wouldn't matter if Blaine _did_ come back. Hunter's mind was already made up. He kept his opinion to himself, however, fully aware of the Warbler's hopefulness that they had gotten through to the little human gel bottle.

Hunter was actually starting to get a little worried as the next few days passed. He hadn't heard from Blaine, but that simply meant Blaine had not turned them down yet. The boys were cautiously optimistic. Sebastian was flitting back and forth between being pleased Blaine might be coming and disheartened that everyone seemed to have elected to ignore any contribution he might have added in favor of discussing how much better things would be after Blaine started.

Hunter was just about at the point of considering doing something drastic when Blaine made his move. And Hunter felt completely validated in his attempts to discourage the former Warbler.

Because the New Direction member had obviously suffered some sort of mental break.

Hunter watched silently from the second story of the school with Sebastian as Blaine and some other boy ran across the courtyard, holding the stolen trophy. Sebastian stared after them. "What is he _wearing_?" he asked, bewildered.

"I believe it's a superhero costume," Hunter said dryly. "_This_ is the boy you were all head over heels infatuated with?"

Sebastian gazed after him. "I…don't know what to say to that."

Hunter glared at him. "Can we go back to work now?"

And Hunter found that little exercise in subterfuge did the trick. The Warbler's settled down, now that they realized Blaine had legitimately deserted them for the public school misfits. They stopped singing his praises quite so loudly. Hunter suspected they were actually slightly hurt that he had continued to reject Dalton even after Kurt wasn't there to hold him to McKinley anymore. It broke the bond of loyalty, at least.

And let them focus on more important things. Like practice. And rehearsal. And training for Sectionals. And when Hunter informed the group he would be singing the first song and Sebastian would sing lead for the second, their easy acceptance of his decision did a lot to ease his mind. And did a lot to bolster Sebastian's self esteem, which had taken a bit of a tumble during Blaine Lovefest version 2.0. Sebastian was sitting quietly on his bed, humming his song for Sectional's with headphones on when Hunter returned from the library a few days after Blaine's final exit.

Sebastian glanced up at him. "Hey," he greeted him, pulling the headphones from his ears. "I just wanted to say thank you."

Hunter raised an eyebrow in surprise. He hadn't actually been aware Sebastian was capable of initiating a show of appreciation. "What for?" he asked, confused.

"For letting me sing lead," Sebastian replied. "I know you aren't that fond of me. I'm just glad you trust me with this. I'm sorry Blaine didn't come back for you," he offered, scrolling through his music and refusing to look at Hunter.

Hunter shook his head. "You're an idiot," he informed him.

Sebastian looked up in surprise. "What'd I do?" he asked defensively.

Hunter folded his arms and stared at him. "I didn't _want_ Blaine to come back," he replied. "You didn't notice all the ways I sabotaged my own plans?"

"Well, yeah," Sebastian replied cautiously, "but I just thought you were really bad at this."

Hunter rolled his eyes. "It wouldn't have mattered if Blaine came back, Sebastian," he said flatly. "He wasn't getting lead."

"What?" Sebastian looked confused.

"Do I have to spell it out?" Hunter asked, exasperated. "You're _better_, Sebastian. You were my choice from the start. Blaine doesn't _deserve_ us. Blaine doesn't deserve_ you_," he said, giving him a pointed look. "You're going to carry us to victory. It's going to be because of you, Sebastian, it always was," Hunter explained matter-of-factly.

"But-" Sebastian tried to start.

Hunter interrupted him. "No buts. You've got more talent than any of us. You're a fool if you believe differently." Hunter simply shook his head and retreated into the bathroom, done discussing it. Sebastian stared after him in confusion.

Hunter stood in the middle of the bathroom and stared at himself in the mirror and wondered just exactly when he turned into a _fan_ of Sebastian Smythe. And what exactly he was supposed to do about it.


	4. Chapter 4

Hunter should have known any indication that things were actually going smoothly for any amount of time would simply be the eye of the hurricane.

A hurricane that was named Sebastian. Things had actually settled down. Rehearsals were going well, songs had been chosen and accepted, choreography was coming along nicely, and Sebastian had actually been behaving in a tolerable manner.

Hunter should have figured it would be too good to be true.

Because after roughly two weeks of _actual peace_, just when Hunter was beginning to think maybe they actually had a chance to become a cohesive unit and succeed at Regionals, and he might actually accomplish what they expected of him, Sebastian turned into a _demon_.

If Hunter had found him trying before, he was _insufferable_ now. He was moody. And angry. He had always been prone to sarcasm, and his wit was often biting, but it had been nothing like_ this_.

He had become flat out hurtful. He had little or no patience. He would pick fights and get into arguments over pointless things. It was like he _wanted_ to make people feel inadequate, or stupid, or leave them doubting themselves.

Hunter tried his best to ignore him, hoping it would just blow over. He was their Captain, not their life coach. If Sebastian hurt their feelings, they should deal with _him_. Hunter was under enough stress. Hunter wasn't about to confront him too. As long as he kept doing his part of the routine well enough, Hunter would just try to ignore him.

It wasn't exactly an easy task, however.

Sebastian complained about_ everything_. _All the time_._ Loudly._ Hunter had finally reached the point where he had put up with just about enough. After yet another practice where Sebastian made snippy little comments about how each one of them was failing to measure up, and how show choir was stupid and pointless anyway, he had full intentions of confronting Sebastian in their dorm that night and laying down the law. He would tell Sebastian if he wanted to remain in the Warbler's he would discontinue his current attitude. He would follow orders. He wouldn't remark on anyone else. Hunter was about two comments away from rescinding his offer of Co-Captain to Sebastian and demoting him to the Warbler equivalent of towel boy.

And then, as he was ready to leave the practice room that day, that stupid blond Warbler was in his face telling him he had to find out what was wrong with Sebastian because they were all _worried_ about him.

Hunter just stared at Jeff in confusion for several moments, and then shook his head in defeat.

"What's wrong with him," he explained patiently, "is he's turned into a jerk. A self-centered, egotistical jerk."

"Yes," Jeff agreed easily, and Hunter thought maybe he had gotten through to him, when Jeff continued, "he has. This doesn't concern you?"

Hunter fought the urge to throw up his hands and scream. "I'm not _happy_ he's upsetting the group," he responded in a forcibly calm tone. "I'm not happy he's causing a distraction and acting like he's the only one who ever does anything right. I'm not happy he's so _angry_ all the time."

Jeff perked up, and latched onto that statement with an enthusiasm that left Hunter blinking confusedly at him. "Yes! He's _angry_!" he exclaimed, like this should mean something to Hunter. "You have to figure out what's bothering him."

"He's being a petulant two year old?" Hunter suggested. "_That's_ what's wrong with him."

Jeff sighed long-sufferingly at him as if he was disappointed in him. Hunter fought back the urge to punch him in the nose. "What?" he snapped.

"You might want to consider what anger means to Sebastian," Jeff suggested quietly. "And when you do, talk to him, Hunter. He won't talk to us. We've tried. But he respects and trusts you." He shook his head. "Prove to us you deserve it, Hunter." Jeff left the room, leaving Hunter gazing after him, half bewildered and half offended.

What kind of cryptic remark was that? Stupid little blond Yoda. Hunter had no idea what he was trying to get at. What did anger _mean_ to Sebastian? That he was _angry_? It didn't seem that complicated to Hunter.

He really hadn't seen Sebastian angry all that often. Irritated, annoyed, frustrated, overwhelmed, yes. But not actually angry. Not like he had been. There were really only two occasions Hunter could pinpoint where he had actually legitimately seen Sebastian angry before.

Once was at a lacrosse game. The opposing team member had blindsided Nick when he was trying to obtain possession of the ball, smashing his own helmeted head into Nick's hard enough to send him crashing to the ground, temporarily stunned. He had spent the rest of the game in the nurses office, and they had kept him there overnight, cautious in case he had a concussion. He didn't, but the hit had been hard enough to leave him with a headache for a couple of days. Sebastian's reaction to the hit had been immediate and heated. He had gone off on the other team, the other teams coach, any official within earshot, and had nearly gotten himself disqualified. Immediately after the game he had stormed off the field and towards the nurses office, and no one had seen him the rest of the night. Nick had later stated he had been woken up at one point by the nurse who wouldn't allow him to sleep in case he was concussed and found Sebastian dozing in a chair in the room.

The other occurrence was on the way to Scandals. Sebastian had somehow managed to talk Hunter, Nick, and Jeff into coming with him. Hunter still wasn't sure what had possessed him to say yes. But they had been in Sebastian's car, headed for the bar, when an idiot in the other lane drifted into theirs and Sebastian had to swerve completely off the road to avoid him. The other car had passed them and continued on it's way, oblivious, drifting back into it's own lane. Sebastian had laid on the horn and let off a stream of profanity that had even Hunter with his military school past raising and eyebrow at, impressed with his vocabulary.

But really, those were the only two instances. And in both, Sebastian hadn't even really been angry. He had been scared.

…_Oh_.

Sebastian wasn't angry. That wasn't the problem. Sebastian was _afraid_.

And Hunter didn't know why. Sebastian wasn't exactly forthcoming most of the time. He was a very private person. Sure, he would describe his latest sexual conquest in excruciating detail, particularly when he knew he was annoying Hunter or making him uncomfortable, but he really said very little about himself, his feelings, or his home life.

Having met his parents, Hunter could hardly blame him.

But it didn't make finding out what the problem was particularly easy. Hunter doubted Sebastian would react well to direct questioning. He would evade, deny, or flat out just refuse to talk about it. And Hunter hardly would consider himself a confidant. He wasn't particularly good with emotions. His own or other peoples.

He steeled himself and headed for the dorm room, determined to get to the bottom of matters. It didn't _matter_ what Sebastian's problem was. It was interfering with the Warbler's ability to function properly, so it would need to be dealt with.

He paused in the doorway, ready to demand Sebastian tell him what the hell his problem was, when he suddenly stopped.

And just really looked at Sebastian.

Sebastian was sitting at his desk, talking on his cell phone. He was deep in conversation, and half turned away from Hunter. And Hunter's chest suddenly felt like there was ice freezing over and spreading out through his entire bloodstream.

Sebastian was _crying_.

Not heavily. Not enough so most people would probably even notice. He was sitting on the edge of the seat, running a hand anxiously through his hair. The phone was at his ear. And Hunter was about ninety eight percent certain those were tears slowly leaking from his eyes.

He didn't know what to do. Tears were not his forte. Hunter's approach to everything was very logical. Emotions were overrated and got in the way of perfection. Hunter would just assume keep emotions out of the equation.

And now he had this seventeen year old roommate dripping on their carpet. He hesitantly took a few steps away from the door and walked back towards it, purposefully making his steps heavy. In the few moments it took, Sebastian had hung the phone up and managed to stop the waterworks. Hunter eyed him carefully.

"Is everything all right?" he asked bluntly, and then silently cursed himself for his inability to segue gracefully into anything. Sebastian glanced in his direction in surprise. "Everything is fine," he responded guardedly. "Why?"

_Because you were crying?_ Hunter thought. "Because you've been acting rather…confrontational, lately?" Hunter elected to answer instead.

"We're getting closer to competition season, and they're behind where they should be," Sebastian responded immediately.

"No, they aren't," Hunter said. "You know they're right on target. But you're stressing them out. Why is that?"

"I'm not stressing them out," Sebastian protested, irritated.

"You almost made Trent cry," Hunter pointed out dryly.

The mention of Trent had Sebastian noticeably stiffening. Enough that Hunter noticed.

"Sebastian, tell me what's wrong," Hunter ordered.

"Nothing is wrong, Hunter, stop hovering," was the first reply.

"You're lying," Hunter stated flatly. "And what is your problem with Trent?"

Sebastian's gaze was confused. "I don't have a problem with Trent."

"You've been avoiding him," Hunter said. "And lashing out at everyone. Clearly something is wrong."

"You're imagining things," Sebastian stated flatly.

Hunter glared at him. "You've had a terrible attitude lately. You're argumentative. You're judgmental. You're _mean_. What's _wrong with you?_"

"Maybe I'm just sick of all this emphasis being put on a stupid school club, Hunter!" Sebastian snapped back. "You all act like it's the most important thing in the world. Like you'll all just _die_ if we don't place. Maybe I'm just sick of all the drama! I have other things to worry about right now! I'm sorry if I'm hurting your birdies_ feelings_!" By the end of the sentence, Sebastian was shouting. Hunter stared at him, concerned.

He was visibly shaking, he was so upset. Quietly, Hunter asked, "_What's_ more important, Sebastian?"

Sebastian deflated. He just shook his head, rubbing tiredly at his eyes. "Nothing, Hunter. Leave it alone."

Hunter found himself stepping closer to the other boy, eyes fixed on him. "No. Something is seriously wrong, isn't it? Tell me what's wrong, Sebastian. Now."

Sebastian glared at him. "Why? So we can hug and sing uplifting songs and cry together? I'm not a girl, Hunter."

Hunter's chest felt like someone had wrapped a vise around it and squeezed. "Then there is something wrong. Sebastian. Tell me."

"It's none of your business, Hunter." Sebastian's tone was still insistent, but Hunter could tell he was starting to waver.

Hunter didn't know how to go about this. He was the wrong person for this. He didn't do feelings. He didn't do sympathy and compassion. Then again… Sebastian didn't _want_ sympathy, from the sound of it. Maybe he _wasn't_ the wrong person. Hunter appealed to his sense of duty. "It's affecting your work," he stated firmly. "You need to tell me so we can fix it. It's had an effect on your ability to lead. You must have noticed it."

Sebastian's tone was brittle. "You can't _fix it_, Hunter. It's not a wrong note or a missed lyric."

Hunter didn't like seeing Sebastian seem so fragile. He wasn't good with delicate matters. And he didn't want to watch Sebastian shatter.

He was mindful of the space between them. The others might have tried to cross it, to touch Sebastian. Hunter couldn't bring himself to do it. Sebastian probably would have punched him in the nose anyway.

"What is it?" he asked quietly. "Sebastian, please. Tell me what's wrong."

Sebastian shook his head. "You're about a week late, Hunter. There's nothing wrong with me. Nothing that horrible anyway."

Hunter tilted his head to the side. "Explain, Sebastian."

Sebastian looked uncomfortable. "I was…waiting for some results. For some…tests? They just came back."

_The phone call_. Hunter couldn't bring himself to feel any less worried. Those hadn't been tears of joy he had been crying.

"Tests for what?" he asked cautiously.

Sebastian shrugged. "I found a lump in my leg a while ago. It…wouldn't go away. And just kept getting more painful. So they tested it."

"And?" Hunter prompted.

"And it's not a big deal," Sebastian snapped defensively. "What do you want from me, Hunter?"

"The truth," Hunter said. "Are you saying there's nothing wrong with your leg?"

"It isn't what they were afraid it could be," Sebastian replied. His words were stilted, like he was weighing them carefully. Hunter sighed.

"Sebastian, would you just be straight with me for two minutes?"

Sebastian responded immediately, "I've never been straight, Hunter. Accept it."

Hunter wasn't impressed. "I mean it," he insisted. "Tell me what this means."

"It means," Sebastian said, irritated, "that it turns out I have a 70 percent chance of recovering, as opposed to a 70 percent chance of dying."

And the vice tightened again. Hunter wondered idly how Sebastian was standing there so calmly when he himself could hardly breath.

"Trent's mom," he whispered. "That's why you…you have _cancer?_"

"Thank you ever so much for being so blunt about it," Sebastian said with a glare. "I'm fine."

Clearly he wasn't. The question was, just how much was he hiding.

"What…what are you going to do about it?" he asked uncertainly.

"Well, it hasn't metastasized," Sebastian said wearily, "so they said they'll start with eight weeks of chemo and then surgically remove the tumor. And see where to go from there."

Hunter had heard the word before but his brain wasn't currently working on all cylinders. "Metastasized?"

"Spread. To other organs," Sebastian said quietly. "It's apparently localized in my leg. So…they'll try to kill off as many cells that could be… cancerous, and then remove the lump."

"God, Sebastian, I'm so sorry," Hunter said, shaking his head in disbelief. "Does anyone else know?"

"No!" Sebastian exclaimed immediately. "And they aren't finding out. Dalton know, obviously, and my parents, but I don't want anyone else to know."

"How can you possibly hope to keep this quiet?" Hunter asked, bewildered. "And why would you _want_ to?"

"Maybe because I don't want to talk about it?" Sebastian suggested sarcastically. "Or have them give me the pathetic puppy dog faces you know they will. Or try to make me feel better. I just want to ignore it as much as possible."

"Isn't chemo going to make you sick?" Hunter asked hesitantly. He didn't know that much about cancer treatment, but he did know chemo was extremely unpleasant. "How are you going to explain it when you lose your hair?"

"If," Sebastian replied. "Not when. Chemo affects people differently. And it's only two months right now. And if it comes down to that I'll shave my head or something." He looked sad. "I'm going to have to quiet Lacrosse though. I won't have the stamina. And I can't risk getting hurt right now."

"The Warbler's?" Hunter asked, concerned.

Sebastian shrugged. "I'll continue as long as I can Hunter. But…I don't know about lead," he admitted quietly. "If this is still going on during Sectionals…I may not have the strength to keep up with the choreography. Maybe you should find another singer."

Hunter didn't even have to consider it. he dismissed that idea immediately. "No. Even at half your normal level, you're still my first choice. We'll change the choreography. Leave you with less moving around to do. The others can make up for it."

Sebastian's eyes were tired as they studied him. "You realize I may just not be able to?" he asked quietly.

"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it then," Hunter said firmly. "But it will be because _you_ reach the point where it's too much, not because I kicked you out." He shook his head. "I still think you should tell the others."

"And I think that's not your decision to make," Sebastian snapped back.

Hunter nodded slowly. He didn't like it, but Sebastian was right. It had to be _his_ decision how to handle this. He was the one dealing with the fallout. "You're staying here though, right?" he asked, just for clarification. "You aren't going home?"

Sebastian laughed at him. "Considering my parents are in Paris for the next two months, I don't see much point in going home."

Hunter stared at him. "You're parents aren't even in the _country_? Do they know what happened?"

Sebastian shrugged. "Oh yeah. I think my father's disappointed I failed to measure up in yet one more way," he said, rolling his eyes. "Having such an inferior body and all."

Hunter just kept staring. "And they're not coming back. At all?"

Sebastian shook his head. "They figure the school and the hospital can figure it out. They'll sign any consent forms that are faxed to them. We had a_ lovely_ chat yesterday about options. I would just assume they stay away. They're exhausting."

Hunter's contempt for Sebastian's parents only kept rising every time they were mentioned or seen. He shook his head. "And treatment?"

Sebastian nervously ran a hand through his hair. "Chemo once a week for eight weeks," he explained.

"Administered how?" Hunter pressed.

"Through an IV at the hospital," Sebastian explained. "Every Saturday."

Hunter nodded. "How long does that take?"

"A couple hours." Sebastian didn't look thrilled by the prospect.

Hunter nodded. "How are you getting there?"

Sebastian glanced at him blankly. "Driving? Or taking a cab if I'm not up to it?"

Hunter eyed him thoughtfully. "I'm taking you," he stated abruptly.

Sebastian stared at him, confused. "Excuse me?"

"I'm bring you," Hunter said simply. "I'm not having you go there, have them stick poison into you for a couple hours, and have you get sick and crash on the way home. I'm bringing you."

Sebastian rolled his eyes. "It's a couple hours out of your weekend," he said pointedly. "You don't want to spend them sitting in a hospital. I'll be fine. That's what taxi's are for."

Hunter glared at him. "I don't trust them. And it's stupid for you to waste money on a cab. Besides, we need to prepare for the rest of the year for the Warbler's future competitions and performances. As long as you're stuck in the same place for an extended period of time, I can make you help me."

Sebastian shook his head, looking faintly amused. "You couldn't come up with a better excuse than that?"

Hunter shrugged. "What do you want from me? It's hard to think on the spot. I'm still coming though. It will be horribly boring for you otherwise all alone."

"As opposed to horribly annoying with you there?" Sebastian replied dryly.

"Now you're getting the picture," Hunter agreed easily. "So I can come?"

"You can come," Sebastian allowed quietly.

Hunter nodded, pleased. They both stood in silence, watching each other uneasily. Hunter wished he knew what to say. He wished he knew how to be reassuring. How to make Sebastian feel better. He felt woefully inadequate. He was troubled by the feeling he was somehow failing Sebastian. That he should do more. Help more.

He had to ask, "Sebastian? Why did you tell me when you ignored anyone else who asked?"

Sebastian glanced over at him and shrugged, fiddling with a button on his blazer. "Because I knew you could handle it," he said quietly. "Because I knew you wouldn't get all weepy and emotional and _annoying_ over it. Because I knew you would just accept it and not let it change everything."

Hunter nodded, smiling timidly at Sebastian. Sebastian smiled back. He already looked exhausted. And he hadn't even started treatment yet.

But Hunter would be there. If he needed him. Maybe he couldn't give him the emotional support he thought he deserved. But maybe Sebastian wouldn't have reacted well to it anyway. And so maybe he wasn't as bad a choice as he thought he was.

Sebastian needed normalcy right now. Routine. He didn't want to be hovered over. He wanted things to go on like they had been. That, Hunter could give him.


	5. Chapter 5

Sebastian drove Hunter _crazy._

He had no idea when he had taken it upon himself to make Sebastian's well being his problem.

Actually, yes he did. Probably right around the time he discovered Sebastian was incapable of taking care of himself responsibly.

He made him nuts. Hunter understood Sebastian's reluctance to talk about it, his desire to pretend things were the same as ever. Sebastian did not accept assistance from other people very well. He was prickly. He resented sympathy. Hunter knew if he wanted to continue to have any kind of insight into Sebastian's situation as events unfolded, he would have to tread extremely carefully. Otherwise Sebastian would just shut him out completely.

So he kept his mouth shut. He accompanied Sebastian to his first chemo session at the hospital on Saturday. He listened quietly as the doctor explained what Sebastian could expect as they hooked him up to the IV. He sat beside him for the two hours that the drugs slowly seeped into Sebastian's bloodstream as he kept up a constant barrage of opinions and insults, half of them aimed at Hunter himself.

Hunter didn't take offense. He knew Sebastian was scared. He knew he was trying to downplay the severity of his situation. He knew he was trying to get Hunter riled up enough to decide it wasn't worth the aggravation and just not come again. He knew Sebastian would never show weakness in front of him, but he didn't feel bad taking away his ability to let down his brave front, because he knew even if he wasn't there, Sebastian would have never shown vulnerability in front of the doctors or other patients in the ward.

So he simply kept quiet and kept watch.

But…God, he was _frustrated_.

Sebastian's reaction to the chemotherapy drugs hadn't actually been as severe as Hunter had feared it could be. But it wasn't as if there was nothing wrong either. They were approaching the third weekend of chemo and Hunter could already see a pattern.

Sebastian wouldn't react to the treatment until four or five hours after it had ended. Sebastian had half heartedly informed Hunter after the first session that he could drive himself home considering he had those hours before he because violently nauseous. Hunter had politely told him to shut the hell up. Hunter had spent the first night in the dorm room sitting on the edge of his bed watching the shadow move against the light coming from under the closed bathroom door after Sebastian had found that a few hours after the drugs went in, everything he had eaten that day insisted on coming back up. He spent a couple hours hunched miserably in the bathroom, every time he would be cautiously hopeful that maybe the worst of it was over, his stomach would rebel again. Hunter would have helped him if he could, but he could hardly keep Sebastian from vomiting, and Sebastian had made his refusal to allow anyone to see him in that state clear with the firmly closed and locked door.

The second weekend was not so bad. The doctors had asked how Sebastian had fared after the last week, and Sebastian had simply shrugged and maintained that he was "managing." It was Hunter who had spoken up and quietly asked if there was anything that could be done for nausea. Sebastian had glared at him, but Hunter refused to feel guilty for trying to make things easier for him. If the idiot wasn't so obsessed with not showing weakness, Hunter wouldn't have had to intervene. And when Sebastian could sigh in relief the next week when the pills they gave him resulted in a mildly queasy feeling instead of heaving until he was literally choking, Hunter counted it as a win.

The fatigue followed a pattern as well. That Saturday Sebastian would be nauseous and tired within a few hours. The lethargy would continue through the weekend, worsening on Sunday and then lessening slightly as the week progressed. By Wednesday he was almost back to fully functional, and by Friday he was recovered enough to turn into a holy terror again. And then the cycle would repeat.

Hunter had moved the majority of the Warbler's practices to the end of the week. Wednesday and Friday were mandatory rehearsal days, he would add Thursday in if he felt they needed it. The other Warbler's had looked rather confused when he announced the schedule change, but Hunter blamed it on weekends with too many students away at home and too much homework the first part of the week and just glared impassively until they all simply agreed to the change.

He was beginning to suspect there might be a problem though.

After the first week, Sebastian had come to the conclusion that the Dalton dorms were not the place to be while he was in the middle of the worst of the aftereffects of the treatment. There were too many students still milling around and too much of a chance of someone coming to see him and ask him if he wanted to go out and do something. Sebastian barely had the energy to make it to the bathroom before he threw up.

So he informed Hunter he would be going home on weekends.

To his completely empty house.

Because his _idiot_ parents couldn't be bothered to come home and make sure that their son who was currently battling _cancer_ was managing all right.

Hunter could see the positives for Sebastian, though. He wouldn't have to worry about other students wondering what was wrong with him. He wouldn't have to keep up the facade that everything was fine. He could simply go home and collapse until the worst of it was over. Also, his home was actually closer to the hospital than Dalton was. So, yes, Hunter could see the reasons why going back to his house until school started again on Mondays would be a good decision.

But he sure as hell wasn't letting him go alone.

Sebastian simply stared blankly at him, rolled his eyes, and shrugged when Hunter told him he was going with him. Hunter might have felt bad about using Sebastian's exhaustion against him, knowing he wouldn't have the energy to fight it, but one look at his drawn face and bruised looking eyes, and his determination was reinforced. Left to his own devices, Sebastian would simply go to his house, lay on his bed, and sleep until Monday, except for the frequent vomiting episodes that first day.

He wouldn't have eaten. He wouldn't have kept hydrated. He wouldn't have had the energy or the desire to go down to the kitchen and find something.

So Hunter took over those jobs. Hunter kept bringing Sebastian water or juice or tea or sports drinks or whatever he could tolerate so he wouldn't get dehydrated. Hunter made the meals.

Or, to be more precise, Hunter picked up the phone and ordered the meals, but he still considered it as contributing, because Sebastian wouldn't have bothered. Hunter ordered the movies and sat silently with Sebastian, watching one dumb film after another so neither of them would have to talk, which would have been horrifyingly awkward for both of them, but Sebastian didn't have to be alone. Hunter kept watch as Sebastian would fall into an uneasy sleep before the first movie was over, fatigue and exhaustion getting the best of him.

After the second week, the other Warblers noticed. And that's where the problem came in.

Hunter knew they were confused when both of them were gone the entire weekend and showed up at the same time Monday. Sebastian could have gone home, but Hunter's family lived in Colorado. Hunter obviously wasn't going home on the weekends. Hunter knew they suspected the two of them had been together, if the looks the Warbler's were giving them both when they thought they weren't looking were any indication. They were really terrible at subtlety, actually.

Hunter knew where the confusion lie. Hunter was "not remotely bi-curious." Sebastian didn't hook up with classmates. And yet, somehow, they had apparently gotten it into their heads that they were using the weekends to hook up at Sebastian's house. Hunter would have been offended if it wasn't so ridiculous. Jeff kept looking at them both like they were a riddle to be solved. Hunter didn't really care what they thought, and if it kept them from suspecting there was something more to the story, he wasn't going to dissuade them from their idiotic ideas.

Until it became a problem.

Apparently, jealously and indignation made people do stupid things.

It started with the whispers. Sentences muttered just loud enough that Hunter knew they were actually meant to be heard. Complaints about favoritism, and soloists who could probably keep up better if they actually spent the weekend resting and practicing, instead of screwing in empty houses.

It was making Hunter angry. He was with Sebastian almost constantly. If he wasn't in classes, Hunter was there. Hunter saw what a toll this was taking. He saw the effect Sebastian put into practice. He saw the aftereffects later when Sebastian would return to the dorm room, too tired to even finish his homework. They had taken to both tackling Sebastian's homework together on days they had practice, to get it done before rehearsals. Hunter would worry about his own later. He would read aloud from the textbooks so Sebastian didn't have to do anything but listen. He would write down essays and answers as Sebastian dictated them to him if he wasn't up to writing himself. The arrangement had been cleared by the teachers who were sympathetic to Sebastian's situation.

But the Warbler's still didn't know.

And seemed to be of the opinion Sebastian was getting preferential treatment because he was having sex with their Captain.

Hunter couldn't understand it. He looked at Sebastian, and all he could see was the way this was wearing on him. The worry, and uncertainty, and fatigue and pain. That they could look at him and see him as slacking for no reason was beyond Hunter.

It came to a head about a month into treatment. Sebastian was having a particularly bad week, and had confided to Hunter that he was starting to have doubts about his ability to solo. Hunter had adjusted the choreography again, leaving Sebastian with virtually nothing to do but stand still and sing as the others moved around him. He could see the tension rising among the others. He chose to ignore it, hoping they would be smart enough to keep their mouths shut. He was the Captain, he was ultimately in charge. He hoped that would hold some power with them.

Of course it didn't.

It was Nick who finally broke as Jeff tripped over his own feet again. Hunter felt a sense of regret over Jeff's difficulties, knowing it was because he was stressed out again by the tension around him. And Nick, closer to Jeff than Hunter could even count himself to Sebastian at this point, reacted strongly to the perceived threat to Jeff's mental well being.

"What the _hell,_ Hunter? You can't keep changing things every twelve seconds on us and expect us to be ready for Sectional's just because your _boyfriend_ can't keep up!" he growled, turning on the two of them. "Maybe if you spent more time on the competition and less time doing I don't even want to know what behind closed doors, we would be in better shape!" Nick glared at them, and Sebastian's reaction was immediate and derisive. "I don't need this," he sneered, glaring at Nick. "You have no idea what…." he caught himself, and simply shook his head. "I'm _done_," he announced. "Win the stupid performance yourselves." He stalked out of the room, head held high.

Hunter sighed and turned to Nick, trying valiantly to control his temper. "You have no idea what you just did," he said flatly, pinching the bridge of his nose and closing his eyes.

"You're letting your…affection, or lust, or whatever it is distract you," Nick accused.

Hunter rolled his eyes. "And you're all morons."

Nick opened his mouth to retort, but Trent beat him to it. "There's something…wrong, isn't there?" Trent asked hesitantly.

Of course it _would_ have been Trent who picked up on it. Hunter thought back to finding out about Trent's mother, and wondered if it was possible Trent even suspected.

"That's not really your business, even if there was, is it?" Hunter responded calmly. He stared hard at Trent,

"You're not…together, are you?" Trent continued, ignoring the question. "You're…something else is going on here."

Hunter couldn't betray Sebastian's trust, but he was sick of their stupidity and self-centeredness as well. He should just refuse to answer, or let them think they were involved. It was what Sebastian would have wanted.

Screw what Sebastian wanted. Sebastian had a tendency to want things that were bad for him. Hunter stared them all down impassively.

"He looks…so tired all the time," Trent maintained, staring back at Hunter.

"You should know there are lots of different reasons for that," Hunter said shortly. "_You_ should know, Trent."

He shook his head and walked out of the room, stating, "Rehearsal's over," over his shoulder. He left them all in the room, hoping that it would be enough and they would put two and two together.

Hunter wouldn't betray Sebastian.

But if he could guide the Warbler's in the right direction, just a little, he could hardly be blamed if they figured things out for themselves, could he?


	6. Chapter 6

Hunter hated Scandals.

Actually he hated how Sebastian had this inherit ability to drag half the Warbler's to Scandals, and then just _disappear_.

He wasn't even sure how he kept getting talked into it.

Actually, yes he was. It was because Sebastian never bothered to actually _ask_ him, so Hunter never actually got the opportunity to say_ no_.

Because if he had been given the choice, he would have said no.

Probably.

But it was never really a request, or even a discussion. Friday nights, Hunter somehow just found himself in the car with Sebastian, Nick, and Jeff, and headed for the gay bar while the little voice in the back of his head kept asking him _what the hell he thought he was doing_, and _where the hell did he think he was going._

Hunter suspected he probably should listen to the voice more often.

Sebastian just had this…_way_ of getting past his defenses. He would be doing things Sebastian suggested before he had even fully wrapped his head around the fact he had a choice in the matter.

Not that it really mattered. Scandals wasn't…that bad, really.

Well, actually, Scandals was _horrible_. The alcohol was second rate, the management was oblivious or indifferent to the fact it was regularly getting underage customers, and Hunter wasn't sure which of those was worse, and the clientele was…questionable.

Most of them made Hunter's skin crawl. And not because of of their sexual preference, Hunter really couldn't care in the least who they felt like sleeping with. As long as it wasn't Sebastian. Or Nick. Or Jeff. Or himself. Or any _teenager_ who had managed the less than difficult task of getting themselves past the bouncers.

But there were way too many eyes on Sebastian most of the time for Hunter's liking.

Which of course was simply because he was concerned about his teammate. That was it. He would have had the same concern for Nick or Jeff. And that little voice in the back of his head whispering otherwise could just shut the hell up.

It was simply because Sebastian went out of his_ way_ to turn more heads. Nick and Jeff were content to sit at a table and nurse a beer and quietly make fun of everyone else in the room. Sebastian had to make a spectacle out of himself.

Watching him out on the dance floor set Hunter's teeth on edge. Realizing he had suddenly disappeared completely from view had him gritting his teeth as he counted the minutes, wondering how long he should wait before he should go stage an intervention. Or possibly a rescue.

Sebastian made him nervous. Somewhere along the line he had somehow reached the conclusion that Jeff's statement that Sebastian didn't sleep with classmates met Sebastian wasn't sleeping with anyone. That…didn't _exactly_ appear to be the case.

Not that Hunter suspected he was actually having sex in Scandals, he wasn't really gone all that long and Hunter had to hope he would at least have enough sense not to hook up with the future convicts gracing the establishment's more obscure corners.

But…he definitely wasn't simply dancing.

Hunter didn't understand it. Sebastian could have virtually anyone he wanted, if he would just let them see past that facade he insisted on keeping up. He knew Sebastian insisted he didn't do relationships, but Hunter didn't miss the slightly wistful looks he would throw in Nick and Jeff's direction when he didn't think anyone was looking and that Hunter was absolutely sure he would deny down to his dying breath.

Instead, he seemed determined to turn to people he was absolutely certain wouldn't be coming back again. And Hunter didn't know _what_ was going on when he disappeared, but he knew he wasn't happy about it.

He wondered if some of it was due to Sebastian's condition. Friday's were the one day he could count on being mostly good before chemo on Saturday reset everything for him again. He knew the uncertainty was wearing on him. It was almost like he was getting more reckless as time went on and he was more and more uncertain of the outcome.

It was frankly starting to scare Hunter a little. He could still see haunted brown eyes staring at him from a frightened face in another time and another place where he had felt as helpless to assist as he did now, albeit for entirely different reasons.

But he didn't want to see Sebastian's eyes ever reflect that same fear or pain. And the way he was acting lately, Hunter wondered if it was only a matter of time before he got himself in over his head.

His fear only intensified when about a month into treatment, Sebastian dragged them all to Scandals again, only to disappear. _Again._ Hunter waited anxiously, and fifteen minutes crept by until Sebastian finally reappeared at their table.

With a split lip.

Hunter tried to keep his voice level, to not betray the fury he was currently feeling toward whatever lowlife soon-to-be-corpse had hurt Sebastian. Of course, Sebastian, as per usual, dismissively brushed off his demands to know who had injured him.

Sebastian rolled his eyes and glared at the table staring back at him in concern.

"It's not a big deal," he stated flatly. "Some jackass decided he wanted me to drop to my knees for him. I informed him I only hooked up with my own species, not whatever sub breed of swamp thing he apparently was conceived from, and he didn't appreciate my manners, so he backhanded me."

Hunter's tone was brittle and demanding. "Tell me who he is. Now."

Sebastian tossed an exasperated glance at him. "Why? So you can throw a fit, start a brawl and get us all kicked out to protect my already absent virtue? No thank you. I want to be able to come back here again."

Hunter shook his head emphatically. "I simply want to pound him into the ground," he insisted earnestly. "It's completely justifiable. No one gets to touch you without your consent. Ever."

Sebastian stared at his expression, and his own face softened slightly at whatever he read there. "Not that I don't appreciate the offer," he said mildly, "but you can't assault someone for slapping me across the face. You'll probably get arrested."

"_He_ assaulted _you_," Hunter responded tightly.

"He slapped me," Sebastian snapped. "No one touches me without my permission, Hunter. Not like that. I don't need you to babysit or protect me. If I want to hook up with someone here, I will. If I don't, they won't. I can take care of myself. Stand down soldier. I'm capable of taking care of myself, despite…whatever else may be going on," he said with an uneasy glance at Nick and Jeff who were both watching the exchange with rapt attention. "I'm done here tonight," Sebastian declared, sounding aggravated. "Let's just go back to Dalton. And I don't need you looking after me," he snapped at Hunter.

Sebastian's mood only got worse the entire next week. He had a unusually severe reaction to the chemo, and was sicker than usual almost the entire week. Hunter was scrambling to keep the Warbler's on top of their game as their lead singer faltered. The Warbler's had at least clued into the fact that there was definitely something wrong, and now that they were looking, they were much better about taking up the slack and helping Sebastian without being obvious about it.

Of course, this week, even _that_ annoyed him.

Even so, things might not have escalated to the point they did if it weren't for the phone call Thursday.

Hunter got back to the room Thursday after classes to find Sebastian already there and on the phone. Sebastian was slowly tearing his notebook pages into strips and crumpling them as he talked. His words were subdued and defeated.

"No…that's fine. I'll…see you in another two months then," he said quietly, tearing an entire sheet free and crumpling it so tightly Hunter expected there would be crescent-moon shapes dug into his palms from his fingernails. "No, the doctors say it looks promising. They say…no, that's okay. I'll give you an update when you call again. When can I expect…two weeks? What if they need a signature?….Fax it. Understood. Bye, I…" he pulled the phone away from his ear and stared at it for a second, before murmuring softly at it, "love you," and tossing it on the bed. He collapsed next to it seconds later, staring up at the ceiling.

Hunter entered the room, choosing not to acknowledge that he had heard any of the conversation. He knew from experience Sebastian wouldn't be able to carry on a civil conversation for at least a half hour after a phone call to his parents.

He so wanted to hit them both.

In hindsight, he probably should have seen it coming. But he hadn't. He had only himself to blame for that.

Friday night, Hunter had been expecting another invitation to Scandals. Usually, the more upset Sebastian was over things, the more likely it was he would go out and try to work it out somehow on the dance floor or doing Hunter-didn't-want-to-know-what elsewhere. And yet, when Hunter got out of classes…nothing. No invitation. Hunter went back to his room, but Sebastian wasn't there either. He sought out Jeff, wondering if maybe Sebastian had bypassed him, still angry over last time. Jeff blinked blankly at him. "Sebastian isn't in his room?"

Hunter rolled his eyes. "That's what I'm telling you."

Jeff was starting to look concerned. "Do you know if he's still on campus?"

Hunter shook his head. "I haven't been able to find him. I thought maybe he asked you to go to Scandals since he was still ticked off at me."

Jeff's expression was morphing to full out worried. He pulled out his phone and dialed. "Nick? Have you left yet? Good. I need you to check something for me. Is Sebastian's car in the parking lot?"

Jeff listened, and then swore softly. "That's what I was afraid of…..No….you go ahead. We'll take care of it." He hung up and turned to Hunter. "His car is gone. He probably did go to Scandals. We have to go get him."

Hunter felt like he was missing something. "Not that I'm opposed to the idea, but…why are you so freaked out?"

Jeff stared pointedly at him. "He didn't go back to your room. He's still wearing his uniform."

Sometimes Hunter really wanted to punch that Yoda-like fixation on cryptic statements right out of Jeff. "Meaning?….."

Sometimes Hunter also wanted to punch the condescending looks Jeff had a tendency to give him when he though he was being dense right out of him too. Like the one he was currently giving him.

"Meaning," Jeff explained with exaggerated patience, "he's _angry_, and frustrated, and he just headed for a bar full of men who are much older than him, and he's wearing a uniform that clearly identifies him as a _high school student_. A clearly _underage_ high school student. And we both know he's not going there simply for a soda and to dance. Exactly what kind of men do you think are going to respond to him dressed up like a naive, privileged schoolboy? Upstanding, responsible citizens?"

Hunter was feeling sicker with every word out of Jeff's mouth. "Why would he do that?" he asked, horrified. "Jeff…the way he's setting himself up….he could really get hurt. Why would he do that?"

Jeff shook his head. "I can't tell you," he said softly. "I've only seen him do this once before. That time was right after everything that happened with Blaine. With the slushee? My personal opinion on _that time_ is he was trying to punish himself," he explained. "I don't think he would have cared if he ended up hurt. _This time_? I can't say. Maybe he's angry with himself? Or someone else?" His voice was quiet. "I don't know, Hunter. I mean, I know things aren't good for him right now. And I know sometimes we hurt _ourselves_ when what we really want to hurt _someone else_, but….we can't."

Hunter closed his eyes. The little Yoda was consistently smarter than Hunter expected him to be. It was alternately helpful and maddening.

He glanced at Jeff. "You seem to have a better understanding of him than me," Hunter said. "Jeff…why do you keep telling_ me_ what to do? I feel like you would probably do a better job of helping him…"

Jeff simply smiled at him. "Because he trusts you the most," he replied. His smile widened. "You'll figure it out eventually."

Hunter could only stare blankly as Jeff patted him on the arm and said, "Go get him, okay?"

Hunter nodded wordlessly, and Jeff smiled reassuringly at him and headed for the parking lot. "I'm going to try to catch Nick before he leaves, but call me if you need me, okay?" he said, and just like that, was gone.

Hunter stared after him for a few seconds, bewildered, shook his head, and headed for his own car.


	7. Chapter 7

Hunter spent the drive to Scandals alternately worrying about Sebastian's safety, and planning his demise.

He was going to go in there and make sure he was safe, and then he was going to kill him.

Violently. Probably slowly and painfully. And then he would bring him back to life and do it all over again.

Sebastian was going to be the death of him, he just knew it.

He didn't understand it. This obsessive need to chase after him and fix everything Sebastian tore apart. It wasn't like him.

Well, actually, it was exactly like him. He had always been the leader. The one in charge. The one everyone else turned to when things fell apart or people broke apart. He had a reputation for being the strong one. The steady one. The consistent one. It was probably what had landed him in so much trouble in his old school. Dalton had been a godsend. A last chance. Hunter couldn't even consider what would have happened if Dalton hadn't come along at exactly the right time and offered him a way out of an impossible situation.

His own need to protect had gotten him in trouble there too.

But there was just something…different, about this. In most cases, people came to Hunter. He didn't go chasing them down. He had gotten good at helping them pick up the pieces and deal with things, but he wasn't in the habit of chasing after students bent on their own self destruction. He honestly wasn't sure if he would have had the same reaction if it had been Nick, or Jeff.

He wanted to think he would. But it was too hard to conceive of anyway, because those two would have never been this reckless. So Hunter couldn't really say for sure, because he couldn't truly picture the scenario ever actually happening.

And yet, here he was, driving determinedly towards Scandals on his one night off a week when he wasn't focused on a show choir that was fast getting away from him, or a Warbler who needed company all weekend because if Hunter wasn't there, he had no doubt Sebastian wouldn't take care of himself properly.

It was troubling, to say the least. This…fixation of his.

He shook his head as he parked in the lot, forcing everything but his immediate task into the background. He needed to get inside, get Sebastian, and convince him to get his stupid ass back home to the dorm before Hunter decked him.

He grabbed his poorly made fake ID and effortlessly made his way past the bouncers and into the bar, anxiously scanning the crowd. If he was lucky, Sebastian would be at the bar or out on the dance floor, and he could simply extract him and demand he leave with him. Hunter didn't doubt his ability to make Sebastian leave. All he had to do was threaten to cause a scene. Sebastian would leave to avoid any drama that could possibly get them kicked out for good. Scandals only covered for their underage clientele if they behaved themselves. Hunter had no doubt a bar fight would get them banned for good, and that was provided they could avoid getting arrested and the truth about their ages coming out. Sebastian wouldn't chance that. Now, if Hunter could just be lucky…

He should know better by now, Hunter thought to himself wryly as he glanced around the bar, Sebastian conspicuously absent. When did things ever go smoothly for him?

He was going to have to brave the back half of the bar. Hunter avoided that area as much as possible. The further back, the more questionable the conduct got. Hunter kept his eyes focused on the back wall, trying to ignore the moaning and grunting that got louder with every step. A couple men were actually forward enough to slip from the shadows and sidle up to him, but he brushed them off, his fear and fury at such a heightened level that not even the extremely drunk bottom-feeders looking for a score were stupid enough to fully engage him. He made it all the way to the back of the bar, staring at the bathroom doors in derision.

No one actually used the bathrooms in Scandals for their intended purposes. They were basically stalls for sexual encounters, not anatomical relief. Hunter had never been in them himself, but the stories and rumors were well spread. He suspected Sebastian had probably frequented them on more than one occasion. The thought made his skin crawl. He glanced uncertainly at the door, and then glanced at the one next to it with even more dread.

The Ladies Room. Which, had probably never actually had a woman in it. Unless there was specifically a woman's night or something. Hunter wasn't really sure, but in all the time he had been in the place, he could never remember seeing a female. Scandals didn't exactly draw a huge female crowd. Hunter couldn't blame them. Hunter wasn't sure why it drew a crowd of anyone who hadn't been raised in a dumpster in Lima Heights. He shook his head wearily. The last thing on earth he wanted to do was open that door and see what was going on inside. But he knew he had to.

The Ladies Room had become the unofficial place for people who were interested in more than just a simple blow job or quickie to go. Things got ugly in the Ladies Room. Hunter could think of at least three different times when he had been in the bar when a bouncer had needed to go back there and break something up. It wasn't a place to be unless you were planning on things getting rough or ugly. Or rough and ugly. Hunter knew he had to move. He had been staring at the door so long people were starting to take notice. The last thing he needed was an invitation. Besides, while he was stalling out in the hallway, God knows what was going on in the room.

That thought spurred him into action. He held onto the rage, knowing that if Sebastian had finally done what Hunter feared and gotten himself in over his head with someone he couldn't fight off, Hunter probably would have a tough fight on his hands. He drew in a breath and walked purposely to the door, flinging it open with a resounding bang. He stomped inside, glaring, and quickly sized up the room.

There were only four people in the room at the moment. Two of them were….well, Hunter averted his eyes as soon as possible and hoped they wouldn't burn right out of his head from the imagery. He focused on the other two.

One of which was Sebastian. In his school uniform. Or, a very disheveled version of his school uniform. His shirt was unbuttoned, his blazer was mostly off, his pants were unbuttoned, and the man in front of him had him backed up against the wall, one hand gripping his waistband and pulling his hips forward against his own, and the other covering his mouth as he sucked at his neck. Hunter could see Sebastian's chest heaving, his breathing heavy and labored. Hunter couldn't see his expression with the man's hand covering most of his face. It didn't matter though. Hunter didn't really _care_ if what he was interrupting was consensual or not, as far as he was concerned, Sebastian wasn't in any frame of mind to consent to _anything_, and anyone with an ounce of decency wouldn't be attempting to undress a _seventeen_ year old in a grimy bathroom with his _hand over their mouth_. He would worry about what had actually happened later. Right now, Sebastian was leaving. With him. End of story.

Hunter stalked forward and shoved at the man, knocking his hand away. Sebastian stared at him in shock. "Hunter?"

Hunter glared at him. "I'll deal with you in a minute," he snapped, and turned back to the very large man who had just been manhandling Sebastian. "He's done for the night. Leave."

The man glanced up and down at him and snorted. Hunter had the fleeting thought maybe he should have grabbed a bouncer before he attempted this. All well. Too late now. He steeled himself as the man shook his head. "What are you, the jealous girlfriend?" he asked dismissively. "We were having a good time, weren't we, baby?" he purred, turning back to Sebastian and drawing him close, his hand sliding into Sebastian's pants.

Sebastian gasped in shock and backed off quickly, staring uneasily from the man to Hunter. "Maybe I should just go…." he murmured, watching Hunter's furious face with concern.

The man's expression hardened. "We weren't done," he said flatly, and reached out, dragging Sebastian back again by the arm. "Your girlfriend is welcome to watch if that's what gets her off," he offered with a smirk, pulling Sebastian against him again, sliding a hand down behind Sebastian out of Hunter's sight. Sebastian squeaked in alarm and Hunter's patience reached it's end.

"If you don't release him right now," he warned coldly, "I'm going to show you what three years of military school training gets you. And then I'm having the bouncer toss you out of here."

The man outright laughed at him. "Don't try to play with the big boys," he warned him, and Sebastian squeaked again as his hand moved. "You'll end up picking your dignity up off the ground and having it reset at the hospital."

Hunter was about to chance a fight anyway even though he suspected it wouldn't end well when Sebastian surprised him.

"How about you take your filthy, grubby, not very talented hands home," Sebastian gritted out, extracting himself from the man's grip and backing off, glaring at him. The man was so surprised he just blinked at him, like he couldn't understand the concept that someone would push him away. Hunter glanced at the door, wondering if there was a point to shouting. With the noise outside so loud, probably not. He took note of the other two occupants of the room, still enthusiastically going at it and ignoring the three of them. He shook his head, wondering at the fall of civilization as he cautiously held out a hand and Sebastian stepped to his side.

The man stared at the two of them for a long minute and then shook his head, muttering, "Not worth my trouble." He rolled his eyes at Hunter's angry expression, muttered, "You got lucky, baby pitbull. Careful. You aren't ready to play with the big dogs." He shrugged at Sebastian. "You ever looking for someone to show you a good time again, keep your lapdog at home and let me know. You look like you will be fun to break." He headed out the door, and Hunter immediately turned to Sebastian, his heart in his throat. "Are you okay?" he breathed out, hands coming out and frantically latching on to Sebastian's arms, rubbing up and down like he was trying to make sure he wasn't just an apparition.

Sebastian raised an eyebrow, staring at him. "I'm fine, Hunter," he said with a roll of his eyes. He glanced at Hunter's hands, watching the nervous movements against his own skin. "…What are you doing?"

Hunter shook his head. "I have no idea," he admitted. And then exploded. "What the hell is _wrong with you_?"

Sebastian blinked at him. "_Me_?" he asked dryly. "I'm not the one who came barreling in here like a_ insane person_ and interrupted me and turned into a possessive crazy person. What is wrong with _you_?"

Hunter stared. "He had his _hand over your mouth_," he pointed out. "He didn't seem to have too firm a grasp on the idea of_ no_, either, remember?"

"I didn't actually object to the placement of his hand," Sebastian pointed out mildly. "And there wouldn't have been an issue with me saying no, because I wouldn't have said no."

"You would have just let him take you in this filthy bathroom?" Hunter demanded. "Really? Classy, Sebastian."

"Hey!" came an indignant voice from the corner. Hunter turned and glared in their direction. "_Now_ you're going to interject? Really? Not during the sexual assault going on before your eyes or anything, but because I insulted your _bathroom_?"

Sebastian's lips twitched up. "Hunter…stop arguing with the random people in the bathroom," he reprimanded. "And there was_ no_ sexual assault."

"What do you call what his hand was doing after I interrupted you?" Hunter demanded. "When you clearly had wanted him to back off?"

"Foreplay?" Sebastian countered dryly. "He couldn't have known I would actually take your side, Hunter. Now, can we please have the rest of this conversation elsewhere?"

Hunter settled, suddenly remembering his surroundings. He nodded stiffly. "You're coming home with me," he pointed out, just to be sure.

Sebastian rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I got that," he murmured.

Hunter still made him go first, following behind him all the way to the car, watching carefully at every person who came anywhere near them. Sebastian rolled his eyes. "I do have a car here," he pointed out. "If I leave it, it may not have tires tomorrow morning."

"I don't care," Hunter replied. "I'll pay for new tires if it comes to that. We'll get it later. Get in the damn car."

Sebastian slid into the passenger seat, shaking his head. "You're so bossy," he complained. "And you ruined my chances of getting laid."

"Getting raped is more like it," Hunter muttered darkly, starting the car and pulling out of the lot, his hands white on the steering wheel. "You could have gotten hurt, Sebastian. Why on earth would you go there in your Dalton uniform? What were you looking for?"

Sebastian was glaring at him. "Haven't we been _over this_?" he demanded. "_No one_ touches me without my permission. And maybe sometimes I just want it a little more…intense. Why is that any of your business?"

Hunter could play the glaring contest too. "Because you're my friend and I care about you?" he suggested flatly. "Because I don't want to see you get _hurt_?"

Sebastian leaned back in the seat and closed his eyes. His voice was weary when he spoke again. "I'm not going to get hurt, Hunter. I know what I'm doing. No one is doing anything I haven't asked for or allowed to happen."

Hunter sighed. "I just don't understand why you do this," he said softly. "Sebastian…I get the feeling you're…already hurt enough. Why are you trying to add to the pain?"

Sebastian glanced sideways at him. His words were almost voiceless. "Because sometimes…you just need to know you can still _control_ the pain," he murmured. "It's a constant part of life, Hunter. I'm just…making sure I have control."

Hunter couldn't help but think Sebastian was completely _out of control_. In every way. But he knew that sometimes, words wouldn't make a difference. All he could do was try to be there, and offer Sebastian the strength and control he could. And keep an eye on him, in case he ever got this bad again. He wished he had some magic words to make it better. To heal Sebastian. To make him see his worth, and that what he was doing was hurting him, not helping him.

But words weren't his strong point. Emotions were not. All he could do was drive Sebastian home, and bring him back to their dorm, and sit with him the rest of the night on Sebastian's bed as he stared unseeingly at the television in their room. Hunter didn't know what was going through Sebastian's head. He hoped he would work some things out for himself. But in case he didn't, Hunter would be there, keeping watch.

And maybe someday, Sebastian wouldn't need to equate sex or pain with control. Until then, Hunter would keep going to Scandals. And keep watch. And keep pulling Sebastian back from the edge.


End file.
